Snowball fight: Cadbury owner in trademark row over festive chocolate treat
Mini Snow Balls’ maker Mondelēz is demanding vegan brand Moo Free remove its White Choccy Snowballs from shelves Toblerone owner sues British vegan chocolate brand over chunky shape The owner of Cadbury and Toblerone has demanded that a small vegan chocolate brand remove its products from shelves in a trademark dispute over the use of the word snowball. Mondelēz International has written a legal…
Cadbury owner Mondelēz International is embroiled in a trademark dispute with vegan chocolate brand Moo Free over the use of the term "Snowball" for their White Choccy Snowballs product. The vegan brand claims the use of the word Snowball in reference to the chocolate confection infringes on its own trademark registered in 2001.
Mondelēz argues Mini Snow Balls, their Dairy Milk chocolate-coated crispy shell biscuit, is a distinct product. The legal battle arises just after Mondelēz sued another vegan brand, Catherine’s Originals, for allegedly copying Toblerone’s iconic chunky shape in its O’bar. Moo Free, stocked in supermarkets and online, says it sold Snowballs for two years before being told to remove them from shelves ahead of Christmas.
Co-founder Mike Jessop, who created the brand after struggling to find allergen-free chocolates for holidays, is lactose intolerant and has never tasted a Cadbury Snowball. He questions whether generic terms can be trademarked. In a customer letter, Moo Free maintains they have not infringed and stands in solidarity with Catherine’s Originals.
Mondelēz maintains it is one of its top Christmas products and is willing to negotiate a settlement.
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